It's not just a repugnant statement, it's also clearly rubbish to anyone who was around at the time of Diana's death.
In Diana's last few years of her life she was pretty disliked. Her face sold papers - but people were after the nasty gossip rather than because they adored her. Look at the headlines that had to be pulled on the day she died.
People had sympathy for the RF because of her behaviour and didn't want to see her back. But they loved the gossip of her latest "disgraceful actions".
Her death changed public opinion into suddenly she was a martyr, beloved by all, the People's Princess and the RF were all to blame. Stirred up by Tony Blair who saw an opportunity to place himself at the front as her knight in shining armour (never had done before) and the press who I suspect were feeling guilty and vulnerable.
If she'd lived, her face would probably still sell papers, but she wouldn't have been loved.
I was helping lead a group of teens and I remember one saying "it seems such an ordinary way for her to go." And I think that was part of it. It brought home that if she could die in an accident, so could anyone else.
So the last thing the RF would want is for her son to be martyred in the same way, because currently, in this county, judging by comments in papers, approval rating, things people say offhand, people have sympathy with the RF and think he's being a prat.
They know from Diana, that could easily be flipped on its head if he died in an accident.
What the RF would probably like more than anything is for him to go back to his home. Keep quiet except when he's doing something sensible or sending a polite, not loaded birthday greetings etc. And then, without announcing it to everyone, reach out with an apology. I suspect then they would equally quietly be prepared to start rebuilding a very careful relationship until they were sure he wasn't going note down, twist it and inform the press.
It would take years to repair the relationship, but that way they could get back to some sort of speaking terms.
I've been in the situation where two people felt able to publicly say lies about me, either twisted versions of reality or sometimes completely made up from nothing. The only way I could protect my mental health was by completely blocking them, because otherwise every interaction you are wondering what they're going to make out of that. I get a strong physical reaction to even seeing their names.
If you've not been in that situation you may not be able to understand how it can become necessary to completely block someone.